Special occasions not always special games.

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Two weeks ago the Packers honored the man called "the architect" of the Packers' return to success in the NFL, former general manager Ron Wolf, by inscribing is name on the facade of Lambeau Field. It was a most fitting honor for the man credited with bringing the Pack back from two decades of mediocrity and worse and the date chosen for the event was a game against an historic rival the Packers had dominated for two decades; beginning with Wolf's accession to be in charge of the Green Bay football operations.

The Detroit Lions had not won a game on the Packers' home turf since 1991. And they came in 1-7 this time. The weekend of celebrating and honoring Wolf was supposed to be capped by the Packers' 25th straight home victory over this club but as we all know it ended instead with a bitter 18-16 Packers' loss.

It was not the first or only time that the Packers had marked a date to celebrate one of their own historic greats or a great achievement for the organization that was overcast by a loss of the game on the field that day.

On the most recent day of inscribing a legend's name on the Lambeau Field facade with Reggie White in 2005 the Packers also lost the home game played that day. http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200509180gnb.htm.

In 2003 they had a huge weekend of celebration to mark the completion of the extensive renovations and expansion of Lambeau Field and the opening of the regular season against another historic old foe the Minnesota Vikings. The Packers lost that game, too. http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200309070gnb.htm.

When they dedicated a weekend tribute to quarterback Bart Starr in 1970 that even brought in the President of the United States they lost the game played on Bart Starr Day http://www.packershistory.net/1970PACKERS/GAME5.html.

Not all such occasions have coincided with a Packers' game day defeat. Bart Starr's number retirement and name going up on Lambeau Field in 1973 saw the Packers end a 4 game winless streak with a 25-21 win over the then St. Louis Cardinals. http://www.packershistory.net/1973PACKERS/GAME9.html.

On Ray Nitschke's special day in 1983 they beat the Bears. http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198312040gnb.htm.

And in the biggest celebration of all, the grand opening of Green Bay's new City Stadium in 1957, which involved the Vice President of the United States among others, the Packers won over the Bears. http://www.packershistory.net/1957PACKERS/GAME1.html.

The Packers won, as they usually did during Vince Lombardi's time, when they renamed the stadium for Curly Lambeau; who had just died two months before, at a 1965 preseason game against the Giants. http://www.packershistory.net/1965PACKERS/PRESEASON-GAME1.html.

I haven't been able to nail down the date when they put Vince Lombardi's name on the stadium facade. It was probably in 1971, the year after the Coach's death, but it may have been as late as 1975 when he was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame. Either way the Packers had losing seasons both years so there's a good chance they suffered defeat on Lombardi's day of recall and honor, too.

As a point of interest, the Packers do not officially refer to the names of past greats on the stadium facade as a "ring of honor" or "ring of fame" or any such thing. I guess it's just names on the Lambeau Field facade.

Speaking of facades, the Packers tonight will hold one of their biggest and most controversial namings as the feature of their first ever home Thanksgiving Day game. This event was supposed to have been even bigger and taken place more than 7 years ago at the season opener against the Vikings in 2008. We all know what happened and why it has been deferred so long. And why it took a delicacy to put together almost like Kissinger sneaking into China 45 years ago to arrange for them to invite Nixon.

This affair reminds me of a golden wedding anniversary party where one of the partners has committed adultery and everybody knows it but they still heap up accolades about how many great years they had together.

Anyway the big party is all set. The subject will get cover from two more popular quarterbacking heroes of Green Bay history. The NFL schedulers have given the Packers their oldest historical rival and a team they should beat in the game. So, what could go wrong?

Well, there's always the chance the Packers will have a letdown from their big win over Minnesota just four days ago. And the Bears, despite their record, aren't exactly a pushover.
http://www.packersnews.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/2015/11/25/opposite-sideline-bears-believing/76377226/

There will be plenty of referencing ol' #4's career records against Chicago. http://espn.go.com/blog/green-bay-packers/post/_/id/20097/fitting-for-brett-favres-no-4-to-be-retired-vs-bears.

With just a few name adjustments they can use most of the script from the Lions game on Ron Wolf's day two weeks ago. They probably, though. will forget to mention some games of the past where the Bears rained on the Packers' parade.

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/199312050chi.htm
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/199911070gnb.htm
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200010010gnb.htm
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200409190gnb.htm
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200512040chi.htm
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200512250gnb.htm
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200609100gnb.htm
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200710070gnb.htm
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200712230chi.htm

And Bert could change his mind again and instead of coming out with Bart Starr and Aaron Rodgers he could be flanked by Darrell Bevel and Brad Childress. And in a Vikings' jersey. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4e/Brett_Favre.jpg
 
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Poppa San

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The Ron Wolf day, IMO, coincided with a trap game. But I get the point. Sort of like ruining the other high school's homecoming.
 

weeds

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I'm sure what led to my momentary insanity because I was telling people that "there is nothing the Bears as an organization would love more than to ruin last night, particularly on national TV -- but, the Pack can't possibly drop two major turds while honoring two all-time greats in the same season". I just could not see the circumstance where they'd come out in front of all those luminaries (whom the kiddies probably don't know or ever heard of because it appears that they're not a real bright bunch) and lay two down two great-big-pieces-of-dog-crap in 3 weeks time.

Anyway, Bart Starr got to watch that unfold and my guess is, he may have been saying to himself "I played for THOSE guys? Was I THAT bad too?"

Seriously though, the ruining of the other team's Homecoming is an excellent analogy.
 

Croak

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Anyway, Bart Starr got to watch that unfold and my guess is, he may have been saying to himself "I played for THOSE guys? Was I THAT bad too?"

.

Or he was thinking; "Boy if I played that bad Vince would have had me riding the pine pony."
 

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Lots of things Vince used to do that either (1) wouldn't work today or (2) wouldn't be allowed today.
 
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Packerlifer

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I'm sure what led to my momentary insanity because I was telling people that "there is nothing the Bears as an organization would love more than to ruin last night, particularly on national TV -- but, the Pack can't possibly drop two major turds while honoring two all-time greats in the same season". I just could not see the circumstance where they'd come out in front of all those luminaries (whom the kiddies probably don't know or ever heard of because it appears that they're not a real bright bunch) and lay two down two great-big-pieces-of-dog-crap in 3 weeks time.

Anyway, Bart Starr got to watch that unfold and my guess is, he may have been saying to himself "I played for THOSE guys? Was I THAT bad too?"

Seriously though, the ruining of the other team's Homecoming is an excellent analogy.

Starr was probably thinking they played like the teams he coached in Green Bay.
 

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